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doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger.

doorsThe band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception,[3] which itself was a reference to a William Blake quotation: “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.”[4] They were among the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, due mostly to Morrison’s wild, poetic lyrics and charismatic but unpredictable stage persona. After Morrison’s death in 1971, the remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanding in 1973.

The Doors – LA Woman:

They were signed to Elektra Records in 1966. The 1967 release of The Doors was the first in a series of top ten albums in the US, followed by Strange Days (1967), Waiting for the Sun (1968), The Soft Parade (1969), Morrison Hotel (1970), Absolutely Live (1970) and L.A. Woman (1971), with 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in the United States alone.[5] Although The Doors’ active career ended in 1973, their popularity has persisted. According to the RIAA, they have sold 32.5 million certified units in the US.[6] The band has sold over 100 million[7] albums worldwide.[8] Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger continue to tour as “Manzarek–Krieger” or “Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors” for legal issues, performing Doors songs exclusively. The Doors were the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold LPs.[9] In 1993, The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jim Morrison

An Album

Waiting for the Sun
Recording of the group’s third album in April 1968 was marred by tension as a result of Morrison’s increasing dependence on alcohol and drugs, and the rejection of his new epic, “Celebration of the Lizard”, by band producer Paul Rothchild, who deemed the work not commercial enough. Approaching the height of their popularity, The Doors played a series of outdoor shows that led to frenzied scenes between fans and police, particularly at Chicago Coliseum on May 10.

Waiting for the Sun

The band began to branch out from their initial form for this third LP. Because they had exhausted their original repertoire, they began writing new material. Waiting for the Sun became their first No. 1 LP, and the single “Hello, I Love You” was their second and last US No. 1 single. With the 1968 release of “Hello, I Love You”, the rock press pointed out the song’s resemblance to The Kinks’ 1964 hit, “All Day and All of the Night”. Kinks guitarist Dave Davies was particularly irritated by the similarity.[30] In concert, Morrison was occasionally dismissive of the song, leaving the vocal chores to Manzarek, as can be seen in the documentary The Doors are Open.

A month after riotous scenes took place at the Singer Bowl in New York, the group flew to Britain for their first performance outside of North America. They held a press conference at the ICA Gallery in London and played shows at The Roundhouse Theatre. The results of the trip were broadcast on Granada TV’s The Doors Are Open, later released on video. They played dates in Europe, along with Jefferson Airplane, including a show in Amsterdam where Morrison collapsed on stage after a drug binge.
The group flew back to the US and played nine more US dates before returning to work in November on their fourth LP. They ended the year with a successful new single, “Touch Me” (released in December 1968), which hit US No. 3. They started 1969 with a sold-out show on January 24 at Madison Square Garden.

Album Review:

The Doors’ 1967 albums had raised expectations so high that their third effort was greeted as a major disappointment. With a few exceptions, the material was much mellower, and while this yielded some fine melodic ballad rock in “Love Street,” “Wintertime Love,” “Summer’s Almost Gone,” and “Yes, the River Knows,” there was no denying that the songwriting was not as impressive as it had been on the first two records. On the other hand, there were first-rate tunes such as the spooky “The Unknown Soldier,” with antiwar lyrics as uncompromisingly forceful as anything the band did, and the compulsively riff-driven “Hello, I Love You,” which nonetheless bore an uncomfortably close resemblance to the Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night.” The flamenco guitar of “Spanish Caravan,” the all-out weirdness of “Not to Touch the Earth” (which was a snippet of a legendary abandoned opus, “The Celebration of the Lizard”), and the menacing closer “Five to One” were also interesting. In fact, time’s been fairly kind to the record, which is quite enjoyable and diverse, just not as powerful a full-length statement as the group’s best albums.

by Richie Unterberger

The Doors – Spanish Caravan
http://vimeo.com/20511120

Morrison’s death
Morrison died on July 3, 1971. In the official account of his death, he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner claimed to have found no evidence of foul play. The absence of an official autopsy, and the death certificate not having a reason of death besides heart failure has left many questions regarding the cause of death. Morrison was buried in the “Poets Corner” of Père Lachaise Cemetery on July 7. The epitaph on his headstone bears the Greek inscription “ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ”, literally meaning “According to his own daimōn” and usually interpreted as “True to his own spirit”.

Grave_of_Jim_Morrison
Morrison died at age 27, the same age as several other famous rock stars in the 27 Club. Morrison’s girlfriend, Pamela Courson, also died at the age of 27.

Awards, accolades, and critical appraisal

In 1993, The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1998, “Light My Fire” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (track).
In 2000, The Doors were ranked number 32 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists, and “Light My Fire” was ranked number seven on VH1’s Greatest Rock Songs.
In 2002, The Doors was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (Album).
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Doors number 41 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[69]
In 2007, The Doors received a lifetime achievement award at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
In 2007, The Doors received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2009, “Riders On The Storm” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (track).
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine includes three studio albums by The Doors; The Doors at number 42, L.A. Woman at number 362 and Strange Days at number 407.
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine includes two songs by The Doors: “Light My Fire” at number 35 and “The End” at number 328.
The Doors were ranked number 20 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock and Roll.
They would become the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold and platinum LPs.
The Recording Academy announced the 2010 Grammy Hall Of Fame Inductees, including The Doors’ Riders On The Storm.
In 2011, The Doors received a Grammy Award in Best Long Form Music Video for the film, When You’re Strange, directed by Tom DiCillo.

A Movie

The Doors

Discography:

  • The Doors (1967)
  • Strange Days (1967)
  • Waiting for the Sun (1968)
  • The Soft Parade (1969)
  • Morrison Hotel (1970)
  • L.A. Woman (1971)
  • Other Voices (1971)
  • Full Circle (1972)
  • An American Prayer (1978)

Band members

Jim Morrison – lead vocals (1965–1971)
Ray Manzarek – keyboards, keyboard bass, vocals (1965–1973, 1978, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2011)
John Densmore – drums, percussion (1965–1973, 1978, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2011)
Robby Krieger – guitar, vocals (1965–1973, 1978, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2011)